SFP transceiver is hot-swappable in industry-standard cages and connectors, and offers high-speed performance in a compact package. SFP is used to data rates up to 4 Gb/s and DWDM, including tunable versions. SFP and SFP+ (enhanced SFP) transceivers are interchangeable and can be used in the same cages as SFP transceivers. The electrical interface to the host board is a serial interface.

SFP+ is a standardized form factor for fiber optic transceivers and is used in datacom and telecom optical links, supplying a smaller footprint and lower power consumption than XFP transceivers. Initial standard applications focused on 8G Fibre Channel, 10G Ethernet and 10G Fibre Channel, where the electrical interface to the host board is a standardized serial interface called SFI.The applications have broadened to include SONET OC-192, SDH STM-64, OTN G.709, CPRI wireless, 16G Fibre Channel, and the emerging 32G Fibre Channel application.

About Finisar

Finisar Corporation (NASDAQ: FNSR) is a global technology leader for fiber optic subsystems and components that enable high-speed voice, video and data communications for telecommunications, networking, storage, wireless, and cable TV applications. For 25 years, Finisar has provided analytical optics technologies to system manufacturers to meet the increasing demands for network bandwidth. Finisar is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, USA with R&D, manufacturing sites, and sales offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.finisar.com.

Finisar Corporation had introduced for advanced storage networking applications 8Gbps longwave SFP+ transceivers. The 1,310 nm transceivers support by SMF 1.4km and 10km transmission, also very suitable for FICON storage and disaster recovery applications. Based on edge-emitting laser technology, the device contains the Finisar digital diagnostic techniques, and the power consumption is lower than 1W. Finisar SFP + products now include 8Gbps and 10Gbps of short-wave and long-wave transceiver.

Some Finisar SFP and SFP+ Lists on Fiberstore

FCLF-8521-3

• Manufacturer: Fiberstore
• Product Type: 1000BASE-T SFP Transceiver
• Data Rate: 1000Mbps
• Application: Gigabit Ethernet over Cat 5 Cable
• Wavelength: N/A
• Transfer Distance: 100m
• Connector Type: RJ45
• Cable Type: Copper

FTRJ8519P1BNL

• Manufacturer: Fiberstore
• Product Type: SFP transceiver module
• Data Rate: 1.25Gbps/1.063Gbps
• Application: SONET/OC48
• Wavelength: 850nm
• Transfer Distance: 550m
• Connector Type: LC Duplex
• Cable Type: Multi-Mode Fiber (SMF)

FTLF1319P1BTL

• Manufacturer: Fiberstore
• Product Type: SFP transceiver module
• Data Rate: 2Gbps
• Application: Gigabit Ethernet Switches and Routers
• Wavelength: 1310nm
• Transfer Distance: 10km
• Connector Type: LC Duplex
• Cable Type: Single-Mode Fiber (SMF)

FTLX8571D3BCV

• Manufacturer: Fiberstore
• Product Type: SFP+ transceiver module
• Data Rate: 1.25 Gb/s or 9.95 to 10.3 Gb/s bit rates
• Application: 1000BASE-SX 1G Ethernet / 10GBASE-SR/SW 10G Ethernet
• Wavelength: 850nm
• Transfer Distance: 300m
• Connector Type: LC Duplex
• Cable Type: Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)

Fiberstore is the largest fiber optics manufacturers of China, which provides 3rd party fiber optic transceivers and all the Finisar SFP is certified 100% compatible with Finisar switch and router product lines. These Finisar SFP transceivers can be mixed and deployed with Finisar OEM SFP transceivers for seamless network performance and interoperability. Our cost-effective Finisar SFP modules are delivered to worldwide from our factory directly. Discuss your requirements with us. Contact us now!

Read More Related Article:

• SFP Transceiver Module for Cisco 3560 Series Switches
  

3rd party SFPs (Cisco Compatible) are produced by companies not on the Cisco AVL and therefore are NOT Cisco approved. These suppliers will give you 100% compatibility guarantees, but Cisco won't support them. This is important to be mindful. Cisco reserves the legal right to refuse service and/or support if your problem is determined to be related to 3rd party SFPs or memory. We've heard from other legends, but we think what is important to keep in mind is that you are at risk of losing some of a higher level support with third party SFPs.

We've had a lot of customers using third party SFPs, such as glc lh smd, cisco sfp 1000base lx lh sm fiber transceiver and these SFPs call in for further hardware problems and the SFPs go unnoticed. However, if you simply are attempting to bring up a fiber connection and it won't come up and need help from Cisco you won't get far. Remember this if it's your business or job on the line.

Are Third-Party Cisco-Compatible SFP Transceivers Safe?

From our experience, the answer is an unequivocal YES! The majority of 3rd party SFP transceivers are manufactured and set up in exactly the same plants assembling officially-branded transceivers.

It's likely that, there is no difference between the official Cisco transceiver and a third-party plug, besides the branding and about two hundred to a few thousand us dollars.

Commands Enable Third-Party SFPs On Cisco Device

The third party SFPs won't work automatically. Cisco-approved SFP modules use a serial EEPROM which contains the module serial number, the vendor name and ID, an original security code, and cyclic redundancy check (CRC). When a SFP module is inserted in the switch, the switch software reads the EEPROM to confirm the serial number, vendor name and vendor ID, and recomputes the security code and CRC. If the serial number, the vendor name or vendor ID, the security code, or CRC is incorrect, the program generates this security error message and places the interface in an error-disabled state.

Here is a common log message indicating the hardware platform has detected an invalid glc t sfp copper SFP:

SYS-3-TRANSCEIVER_NOTAPPROVED:Transceiver on port Gx/x is not supported

These commands will change from platform to platform.

Luckily there are some undocumented (and unsupported) commands to avoid this condition. From configuration mode input the following commands. Remember that because the first command is undocumented you can't "tab" and "?" your way to the command. You can only type the entire command in.

switch(config)# service unsupported-transceiver

switch(config)# no errdisable detect cause gbic-invalid

Your first command will yield the following:

switch(config)#service unsupported-transceiver

Warning: When Cisco determines that a fault or defect can be traced to the use of third-party transceivers installed by a customer or reseller, then, at Cisco's discretion, Cisco may withhold support under warranty or a Cisco support program. During the course of providing support for a Cisco networking product Cisco might require that the end user install Cisco transceivers if Cisco determines that removing third-party parts will assist Cisco in diagnosing the cause of a support issue.

The above command helps it to be clear that you just risk losing support. We've used the above commands on Cisco 2960, 3560, and 3750 platforms.

Ultimately it's your decision of the customer to make the call. Only they are able to ultimately decide the risk versus reward. It's our job as technology partners to explain the pros and cons of either approach.

Additional information:

Third-Party Policy: Cisco Product Warranty

SFP Invalid Error: Cisco Product Tech Note

Article Source: SFP Transceiver Modules Wiki

Netgear AGM731F is hot pluggable 3.3V Small-Form-Factor transceiver module designed expressly for high-speed communication Applications that need rates of up to 1.25Gbit/sec. It is compliant with the Gigabit Ethernet standards, and also the SFP Multi-Source Agreement (MSA).

The AGM731F 1000base SX SFP module provides with the LC receptacle that is compatible with the industry standard LC connector. It is also consistent with industry standard rd RFT connector and cage. The post-amplifier of the AGM731F includes a LOS (Loss Of Signal) circuit that offers a TTL logic-high output when an unusable optical signal level is detected. AGM731F is a Class 1 eye safety product. Its optical power levels are at eye safe level under normal operation. More information about Netgear AGM731F: AGM731F moduledoc.

Netgear AGM731F Modules's Features

• Compliant with SFP Transceiver MSA specification
• Compliant with Specifications for IEEE 802.3z/Gigabit Ethernet
• Compliant with the 1.0625GBd Fiber Channel FC-PI 100-M5-SN-I Rev.13
• Compliant with Industry Standard RFT Electrical Connector and Cage
• Single + 3.3V Power Supply and TTL Logic Interface
• EEPROM with Serial ID Functionality
• Laser Class 1 Product which comply with the demands of IEC 60825-1 and IEC 60825-2
• Duplex LC Connector interface
• Fits into SFP interfaces of all Fully Managed Switches
• Fits into SFP interfaces of all Smart Switches
• Fits into SFP interfaces of JGS524F
• Drives Gigabit Ethernet up to 275 m distances with 62.5/125um OM1 multimode fiber cables

Netgear AGM731F Modules's Applications

• Gigabit Ethernet
• Fibre Channel
• Switch to Switch interface
• Switched backplane Applications
• File server interface

Netgear AGM731F Modules's Performance

• Data Link up to 550m in 50/125um Multi Mode Fiber
• Data Link up to 275m in 62.5/125um Multi Mode Fiber

Netgear AGM731F Module's Parameters

Fiberstore Netgear AGM731F SFP'S (compatible) Specifications

• Manufacturer: Fiberstore (the label can be customized)
• Product Type: 1000BASE-SX SFP
• Data Rate: 1.25 Gbps
• Wavelength: 850nm
• Transfer Distance: 550m
• Connector Type: LC Duplex
• Cable Type: Multi-Mode Fiber (SMF)

Fiberstore focus on fiber network solutions, provides a diverse portfolio of high-performance, cost- competitive products for all fiber optic communication Applications. The compamy offers a number of compatible Netgear SFP modules (Netgear AGM734, AFM735, etc.), i.e. SFP-1G85-5M-NE as a compatible version of Netgear AGM731F, based on customers' requirements. They also design a customized label and specialty packaging for users' companies. Their primary corporate capabilities include software engineering, systems engineering, network engineering, systems support, program management, and information assurance engineering and analysis.

Read More Related Article:

• 10GbE Optical Standards and Fiberstore SFP+ Modules
  

Meeting the ever growing need to cost-effectively deliver more bandwidth, Fiberstore SFP+ Direct Attached Cables deliver lower power, lower latency and higher density for today's Data Centers and Storage Area Networks.

SFP+ Direct Attached Cables are a low cost alterna-tive to traditional fiber and twisted-pair copper cabling in top-of-rack and middle-of-row Data Center deployments.

In today's Data Center, more bandwidth is needed to support the use of server virtualization where multiple virtual machines are combined on a single physical host server. To accommodate the ever-growing number of operating systems and applications residing on individual servers, virtualization requires significantly increased data transmission between the servers and switches.

At the same time, the amount and type of devices residing on the network have dramatically increased the amount of data that needs to be transmitted to and from storage area networks (SANs) and Network Attached Storage (NAS). Depending on recent industry forecasts, the amount of enterprise data being transmitted will grow at more than 20% between 2011 and 2016. Consequently, Data Center managers are looking for cost-effective methods to provide more bandwidth, while optimizing power consumption and supporting modularity and scalability.

To meet these requirements, Fiberstore has expanded its line of Data Center Solutions to include SFP+ Direct Attached Cables. A low cost, low power consumption and low latency solution that is ideal for high-density, in-rack 10 gigabit per second (Gb/s) connections between servers and switches, SFP+ Direct Attached Cables feature rugged twinaxial cables that connect directly into a low-profile small form-factor pluggable plus (SFP+) diecast connector housing.

Fiberstore SFP+ Direct Attached Cables offer the smallest 10 gigabit form factor and a small overall cable diameter for higher density and optimized rack space in 10 gigabit Ethernet (GbE) uplinks and 10 gigabit Fiber Channel SAN and NAS input/output connections. The use of SFP+ Direct Attached Cables can cost up to three times less than fiber optic solutions, while offering lower latency and consuming up to 50% less power per port than current copper twisted-pair cabling systems.

Becoming increasingly popular for short distance top-of-rack (ToR) and middle-of-row (MoR) Data Center deployments, and expected to account for over 40% of 10 gigabit equipment ports, SFP+ Direct Attached Cables also provide enhanced scalability and flexibility. By connecting several servers or storage devices together in a single rack, the use of intermediate patch panels is eliminated and cabling outside of the rack is limited to the main switch connection, making it easy to move racks, deploy one rack at a time and isolate cabling changes to a single rack.

SFP+ Direct Attached Cables provide better cable management for high-density deployments and enhanced electrical characteristics for the most reliable signal transmission.

• Supports 10 Gb/s data rates with backwards compatibility to 1 Gb/s
• Supports 8x/4x/2x/1x Fibre Channel data rates for SANs and NAS
• Compliant with the latest SFF-8431 specifications
• Passive assemblies available in 1-foot increments from 1.6 to 32.8 ft (0.5 to 10 m)
• Active assemblies available in 2-foot increments from 3.3 to 39.4 ft (1 to 12 m)
• Connector cage designed for high-speed differential signaling
• Easy pull-to-release latching mechanism
• Extremely short lead times on all passive assemblies
• Backed by superior support and a 10-year product warranty

Fiberstore Compatible Interconnect Solutions: the 10-Gigabit and 40-Gigabit High Speed Cable Compatible for Cisco. Fiberstore offers SFP+ twinax copper cables, SFP+ active optical cables, QSFP copper cable, breakout cable and QSFP AOC cables with 100% compatibility for Cisco.

Ordering Information

SFP+ Passive Cable Assembly, Cisco Compatible, 10G:

• Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU1M, 1 meter, 30AWG, $18.00
• Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU2M, 2 meter, 30AWG, $22.00
• Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU3M, 3 meter, 30AWG, $27.00
• Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU5M, 5 meter, 24AWG, $38.00
• Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU7M, 7 meter, 24AWG, $75.00
• Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU10M, 10 meter, 28AWG, $88.00

Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU5M SFP+ cable

SFP+ Active Cable Assembly, Cisco Compatible, 10G:

• Cisco SFP-10G-AOC1M, 1 meter, $70.00
• Cisco SFP-10G-AOC2M, 2 meter, $71.00
• Cisco SFP-10G-AOC3M, 3 meter, $72.00
• Cisco SFP-10G-AOC5M, 5 meter, $74.00
• Cisco SFP-10G-AOC7M, 7 meter, $76.00
• Cisco SFP-10G-AOC10M, 10 meter, $79.00

Cisco SFP-10G-AOC1M cable

QSFP+ Active Cable Assembly, Cisco Compatible, 10G:

• Cisco QSFP-4X10G-AOC1M, 1 meter, $281.00
• Cisco QSFP-4X10G-AOC2M, 2 meter, $287.00
• Cisco QSFP-4X10G-AOC3M, 3 meter, $292.00
• Cisco QSFP-4X10G-AOC5M, 5 meter, $302.00
• Cisco QSFP-4X10G-AOC7M, 7 meter, $313.00
• Cisco QSFP-4X10G-AOC10M, 10 meter, $333.00

Cisco QSFP-4X10G-AOC2M QSFP to 4 SFP+ Active cable

Read More Related Articles About DAC Cables:

• 10G SFP+ Cu Introduction
  
• QSFP+ in the 40 Gigabit Ethernet Fiber Optic Media Systems
  

Small form-factor pluggable (SFP) is a specification for a new generation of optical modular transceivers. The devices are intended for use with small form factor (SFF) connectors, and offer high speed and physical compactness. They are hot-swappable.

SFP+ (enhanced small form-factor pluggable) is a standardized form factor for fiber optic transceivers and is used in datacom and telecom optical links, offering a smaller footprint and lower power consumption than XFP transceivers for 10G applications. SFP+ transceivers are designed to be hot-swappable in industry-standard cages and connectors, and offer high-speed performance in a compact package. As knew that SFP was the first standardized form factor in this family, and has been used for data rates up to 4G. Then, with the need for compact transceivers at high data rates, an enhanced version named SFP+ was developed for applications up to 10G and beyond. SFP+ transceivers are interchangeable with SFP transceivers and can be used in the same cages as SFP transceivers because of their same shape as SFP modules. What’s more, the electrical interface to the host board for SFP and SFP+ modules is a serial interface.

According to the difference function or application, even the standard of the pluggable transceivers, there are many kinds of them. The commonly available pluggables include the SFP, SFP+, XENPAK, X2 etc.

Fiberstore provides various kinds of optical communication products which are compliant with standards including Fast Ethernet (FE), Gigabit Ethernet (GE), 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE), Fibre Channel (FC), SONET/SDH and WDM and operate at data rates from 100M to 100G for data-center, HPC (High-Performance Computing), access, metro-regional, wireless, and long haul net-works. They feature outstanding performance over extended voltage and temperature ranges, while minimizing jitter, elzectromagnetic interference (EMI) and power dissipation. For example, the SFP/SFP+ transceiver is part of them.

According to the brands, our SFP transceivers are divided into two big parts: Compatible SFP and custom SFP. Fiberstore manufactures a complete range of compatible SFP transceivers, such as 1000base T SFP module, 1000BASE LX/LH SFP, 1000BASE SX SFP, CWDM SFP, DWDM SFP, BiDi SFP, and compatible Cisco SFP, HP SFP, Juniper SFP, Netgear SFP etc.. The custom SFP transceivers can be any type up to the customers'requirements and own the brand labeling of Fiberstore.

10 GbE is 10 times the bandwidth of 1 GbE, so it's 10 times 1 GbE.10G SFP+ Transceiver (enhanced SFP, also known as SFP Plus) is a next-generation optical module specified by the ANSI T11 Group for 8.5/10/16Gbps Fiber Channel and 10-Gigabit Ethernet applications. Fiberstore manufactures and supplies a complete range of SFP+ modules including 10Gbase-SR SFP module, 10GBASE-LR SFP, SFP-10G-LRM, CWDM SFP+, DWDM SFP+, BIDI SFP+, Dual-Rate SFP+, and SDH/SONET SFP+.See more information: Fiberstore.com.

Many kinds of transceivers in Fiberstore are working with 30% of the price discount, and welcome to your online consulting at Fiberstore.

More Related Article:

The future of Ethernet and it refers to 10 GbE, 40 GbE and 100 GbE connections

HP SFP transceivers offered by Fiberstore are third-party optical modules certified fully compatible with HP Switches & Routers. The HP SFP modules can be mixed and deployed with HP OEM SFP transceivers for seamless network performance and interoperability. Fiberstore provides HP compatible SFP transceivers which can be equivalent to HP 455883 B21, HP J4858C, HP J4859A, HP J4858B, HP JD089B, HP J9143B, HP J4858A, etc.

HP J4859A compatible 1000BASE-LX SFP transceivers are high performance, cost effective modules supporting dual data-rate of 1.25Gbps/1.0625Gbps and 10km transmission distance with SMF. The transceiver is composed of three sections: a FP laser transmitter, a PIN photodiode integrated with a trans-impedance preamplifier (TIA) and MCU control unit. All modules satisfy class I laser safety requirements. The transceivers are compatible with SFP Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) and SFF-8472. For further information, please refer to SFP MSA. This 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP offers the same function with HP J4859A and it is fully compatible with Hewlett-Packard devices:

Key Features:

• Data-rate of 1.25Gbps/1.063Gbps operation
• 10km with 9/125 µm SMF
• 1310nm FP laser and PIN photodetector for 10km transmission
• Hot-pluggable SFP footprint duplex LC connector Interface
• Class 1 FDA and IEC60825-1 Laser Safety Compliant
• Compatible with SFP MSA
• Compatible with SFF-8472
• +3.3V single power supply and TTL Logic Interface
• Average Output Power:-9~ -3dBm
• Receiver Sensitivity:-21dBm

HP J9143B compatible 1000BASE 1310nmTX/1490nmRX BIDI SFP transceiver are bi-directional upstream SFP module Gigabit Ethernet 1000BASE-BX and Fiber Channel single fiber applications by using 1310nm/1490nm transmitter and 1490nm/1310nm receiver. It is with the SFP 20-pin connector to enable hot plug capability. The transmitter section uses a class 1 laser compliant depending on International Safety Standard IEC 60825. The receiver section uses an integrated B type/ A type detector preamplifier (IDP) installed in an optical header and a limiting post-amplifier IC. The SFP BIDI transceivers are designed to be compliant with SFF-8472 Multi-source Agreement (MSA). This 1000Base-BX10 SMF SFP offers the same function with HP J9143B and it is fully consistent with HP devices.

Key Features:

• Support 1.25Gbps Data Links
• 1310nm FP TX/1490nm RX
• Up to 10km with 9/125 µm SMF
• Single 3.3V Power Supply and TTL Logic Interface
• Hot-Pluggable SFP Footprint Simplex LC Connector Interface
• Class 1 FDA and IEC60825-1 Laser Safety Compliant
• Compliant with SFP MSA Specification
• Average Output Power: -9.5~-3dBm
• Receiver Sensitivity: -22dBm

HP JD089B Compatible 1000BASE-T Copper SFP modules are based on the SFP Multi Source Agreement (MSA). It is compliant with the Gigabit Ethernet and 1000BASE-T standards as specified in IEEE STD 802.3 and 802.3ab.

Key Features:

• Support 1000BASE-T Operation in Host Systems
• For 100m reach over Cat 5 UTP Cable
• Hot-Pluggable SFP Footprint
• Support RX_LOS as Link indication function
• Fully metallic enclosure for low EMI
• Low power dissipation (1.05 W typical)
• Compact RJ-45 connector assembly
• Compliant with SFP MSA and IEEE Std 802.3-2002
• Detailed product information in EEPROM

Fiberstore provides various types of SFP fiber transceivers including 100M & 1G SFP, SONET/SDH SFP, 4G SFP, CWDM & DWDM SFP, BIDI SFP and Copper & SGMII SFP. SFP with special parameters can be also customized up to customers' requirements. In addition, Fiberstore offers cost-effective SFP compatible with equipment such as Cisco, HP, Juniper, NETGEAR, Finisar, Dell, etc. All the SFP transceiver modules are 100% tested before shipping and have a lifetime warranty.

More Related Article:

Netgear Agm731f Compatible SFP

The singlemode SFP and multimode SFP here mean the SFP transceivers which work at different types of optical fibers, ie simglemode SFP will work with singlemode fiber, while multimode SFP will work with multimode fiber. So, what’s the different between them? And what should we notice when using them. Today, we are going to have a discussion around this topic.

Singlemode SFP vs Multimode SFP

Singlemode SFP
Singlemode fiber (SMF) has much tighter tolerances for optics used. The core is smaller and the laser wavelength is narrower. This means that SMF has the capability for higher bandwidth and much longer distances in transmission. Singlemode SFPs (SMF SFPs) work mainly in 1310nm and 1550nm wavelength and is mostly used in long distances transmission environment reaching 2km, 10km, 40km, 60km, 80km and 120km. The color coded bale clasp and color arrow on label are generally blue, yellow or purple. And the color of compatible fiber optic patch cord is yellow.

• Blue is the 1310nm module
• Yellow is the 1550nm module
• Purple is the 1490nm module

Multimode SFP
Multi-mode fiber (MMF) uses a much bigger core and usually uses a longer wavelength of light. Because of this, the optics used in MMF have a higher capability to gather light from the laser. In practical terms, this means the optics are cheaper. The common multimode SFPs (MMF SFPs) work in 850nm wavelength and is only used for short distance transmission reaching 100m and 500m. Though it’s not able to transport for long distance, it can transport many kind of optical signals. Their color coded bale clasp and color arrow on label are black and the used fiber optic patch cord is usually orange.

What Should We Notice When Using Singlemode SFP & Multimode SFP

• Ensure that the SFPs in both ends of the fiber patch cord are of the same wavelength. A simple method is that the color of the modules must be consistent.
• In general, to ensure the data accuracy, short-wave SFP modules use with multimode fibers (ie. orange fiber patch cord), while long-wave SFP modules use with single-mode fiber (ie. yellow fiber patch cord).
• Do not over bend or winding fiber optic cables when using them. This will increase the attenuation of light in transit.
• If you don’t use the SFP, you must use the dust plug to protect the optical bore.

Warm Tips
As we know, single mode and multimode are not interchangable. The main reason is the wave length of the laser and core size of the fiber. However, take Cisco SFP for example, there is a type of the GBIC SFP module (part number “SFP-GE-L” or “GLC-LH-SM“) which can support both single mode and multimode fiber. But a mode-conditioning patch cord is required when using the SFP-GE-L or GLC-LH-SM with 62.5-micron diameyer MMF. You must install a mode-conditioning patch cord between the GBIC module or SFP module and the MMF cable on both the transmit and the receive ends of the link when link distances are greater than 984 ft (300 m). In this case, Cisco do not recommend using the SFP-GE-L or GLC-LH-SM and MMF with no patch cord for very short link distance (tens of meters). The result could be an elevated bit error rate (BER). Actually, other brand, like Brocade, also can offer the similar SFP module.

When we choosing the SFP module, we must confirm the transmission distance and wavelength we want to use in. This will help us to choose the right SFP modules more efficiently. In addition, the costs for transceiver modules which keep adding up over time will be a budget pressure for many users. To save more, we can choose the compatible module without sacrificing any quality or reliability but only with a low cost. Fiberstore, an excellent supplier, supplies 100% compatible fiber optic transceiver modules of many brands, such as Cisco, HP, Juniper, Brocade, Finisar etc. with a incredible discount that may be a good choice for you.

Article Source: Difference Between Singlemode SFP and Multimode SFP

According to the standard of the IEEE 802.3 ae committee ratified the 10 Gigabit Ethernet and the general specification, it defines a number of fiber optic interfaces. These standard interfaces attempted to satisfy a number of different objectives including support for MMF and SMF compatibility. They include 10GBASE-SR SFP transceiver, 10GBASE-LR SFP transceiver, 10GBASE-ER SFP transceiver, 10GBASE-ZR SFP transceiver, copper CU SFP+, maybe someone does not know the last one, related product you can see: Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU1M. Their applications are using 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 2x/4x/8x/16x Fiber channel, for example, the cisco SFP+ module, the optical interoperability with 10Gbase XENPAK, 10 GBase X2, and 10GBase XFP interfaces on the same link; the device can plug into an Ethernet SFP+ port of a Cisco switch, just do not need to power down if installing or replacing, these are all its advantages. The Cisco quality ID feature enables a Cisco platform to identify whether the module is certified and tested by Cisco. Then many people also think this problem that when we use the cisco transceiver with cisco switches or even patch cables, do they need the vendor ti physically hang the access points and do they need to configure the access points and how many buildings will the access points be installed into, well, the next paragraph will give you the answer. The vendor needs to physically hang the access points and the points are controller based and they will need to be configured. All access points are to be installed on the ceiling, the only exception would be in gym where it would to be mounted to the ceiling beam. The figure shows that push the SFP front of the module to make it into the slot.

Many people know that SFP, SFP+ and they are not familiar with QSFP, then i will introduce one kind of QSFP transceiver to you. The 40 Gb/s QSFP+ transceiver. It is a kind of fiber optical modules with four independent optical transmit and receiver channels. It combines the higher density attractions of modules with some the key advantages normally associated with SFP+ based modules. And another product you also cannot forget: sfp+ direct attach cable. In Fiberstore, there is a similar attach cable, sfp+ direct attached twinax copper, it is suitable for very short distances and offer a useful way to connect within racks and across adjacent racks. Cisco offers passive twinax cables in lengths of 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 5 meters, and active twinax cables in lengths of 7 and 10 meters. Related product: 0.5 m sfp+ cable.

And Fiberstore's product are fully compliant with different brands, such as Cisco, hp, huawei, Finisar… and standards like Ethernet, Fibre Channel, Infianiband, SONET/SDH/OTN and PON standards, 1g sfp and 10g SFP+ and other transceivers that not mentioned such as WDM module, Bidi module all can get from Fiberstore. We have real wide variety of fiber optic transceivers. I do believe that it is a quite great choice for you.

Article Source: Netgear AGM731F Compatible SFP

<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">There are always some problems needed to be solved due to rebadged. Here are two questions about the transceiver support of HP 3Com rebadged switches. Thanks to the people who gave out the answers.</p>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Question 1:</strong> I am a little confused regarding 10-GbE SFP+ Transceiver Support on older 3Com/HP 4800G Switch Series. HP lists several X130 SFP+ Transceivers as compliant with the 3Com/HP 4800G Switch line. According to all information I found until now, SFP+ is NOT backward compatible to SFP. The original, Comware-based, 4800G Switch Series has definitely no SFP+ ports, only SFP. HP may have changed this in more recent model revision like the HP 5500 EI Switch Series. But the original 4800G Switch Series has clearly no SFP+. How can HP list therefore here these HP X130 SFP+ Transceivers as compliant to the 3Com 4800G Switch Series?</p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-899" src="http://www.fiberopticshare.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/HP-4800G-Switch-Series-JD011A-e1420013159454.png" alt="HP 4800G Switch Series JD011A" height="155" width="500"></p>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">The 3Com 4800G and HP 5500-EI switchs are very similar, only difference seems to be support for PoE+ and the much more powerful power supply (up to 740W) at the HP 5500-EI. Interestingly, this (JD368B) HP 5500/5120, 2-port, 10GbE SFP+ Module is NOT listed at the HP 4800G accessories product page. It is listed only at HP 5500-EI accessories page.</p>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">BUT, if you click there on it, a window opens, and you will see that the 4800G (and others) will be yet listed! Very confusing and incomprehensible, why it is listed here as compatible but not at the HP 4800G accessories product page? It's probably listed because you can add a 10GbE SFP+ module to the back of the 4800G. I'm trying to find out who the Product Manager is to confirm. I'll also take a look at one of mine in the lab.</p>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">According to the HP Accessory list, HP 4500G Switch Series Accessories the only options available for the 4500 and 4800 switches are 10Gb XFP and LCM modules and one 1GbE SFP module (such as <strong>HP transceiver JD119B</strong>, <a href="http://www.fiberstore.com/new-hp-j9143b-x122-compatible-1000base-1310nmtx-1490nmrx-bidi-sfp-10km-transceiver-module-p-32650.html" title="HP J9143B Compatible SFP Transceiver on sale for only $44.8" target="_blank"><strong>J9143B</strong></a>, etc.). I was in touch with the product manager this week and there is no SFP+ version available. He also told me that the 4800G and its options have been end of life for years but we still continue to support them. The page could have been written better to make the accessory list more clear.</p>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Tips:</strong> 3Com 4800G is the same as HP A5500-EI. It's also mentioned within the release notes. Also you can try it out yourself. Type "brand h3c" on the switch and reboot. After that you'll have an H3C S5500-EI switch. If you want to stack an 3Com 4800G switch with an HP E4800G switch you have to "brand hp" the 3Com devices. That's also mentioned within the release notes. Talking about 10Gb fiber. If you want to use SFP+ optics, you have to install the SFP+ modules (e.g. HP <a href="http://www.fiberstore.com/new-hp-455883-b21-compatible-10gbase-sr-sfp-850nm-300m-transceiver-module-p-31575.html" title="HP J9143B Compatible SFP Transceiver on sale for only $52" target="_blank"><strong>455883-B21</strong></a>) first. I use those for my 4800G switches. Before HP A5500EI family, there were another 2 product families, i.e 3Com 4800G and H3C S5500EI, shipped to market. All of these three product families have same hardware and software specification except brand.</p>
<hr>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Question 2:</strong> I have two HP ProCurve JE005A V1910 switches installed in two offices. These two office are in the same building 70 meters apart, but the work enviroment has heavy Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI). So I want to use a fiber connection to link them up rather than a stand Ethernet cable. I have done some research and found that the SX module are more than sufficient. What I can not understand is what is the difference between the J4858C and JD118B HP SFP modules.</p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.fiberopticshare.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/HP_J4858C_SFP_and_JE005A_Switch-e1420012258686.png" alt="HP J4858C SFP and JE005A Switch" height="150" width="500"></p>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">So what is the difference between J4858C and JD118B for the JE005A? The J4858C is what was the traditional ProCurve branded part, the JD118B the former 3Com one. Some of the switches only work with branded SFPs: generally you can use a ProCurve part in a 3Com switch but not always the other way round. Unless you are keeping a common pool of spares or similar, it doesn't matter which you use.</p>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">As HP JE005A V1910 switch is a new prodcut (as in just bought, a V1910 is one of the rebadged 3Com models), would the J4858C be the way to go for best compatability? To create a fiber link, do I need both adapters on both switches or just one each? The answer is that one (at each end) of either would be fine.</p>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">These are small problems but a lot of people are influenced. As there are much more other problems of brands rebadged among HP, 3Com and H3C etc., and considering about the expensive transceivers, more and more users begin to choose generic compatible transceiver modules which can really replace the position of original ones.</p>
<p align="justify" style="text-align: justify;">Article Source: <a href="http://www.fiberopticshare.com/fiberstore-cisco-compatible-sfp-modules-are-on-hot-sale.html" title="Permalink to Fiberstore Cisco Compatible SFP+ Modules Are on Hot Sale" rel="bookmark">Cisco Compatible SFP+ Modules</a></p>

A distribution system port connects the controller to a neighbor switch and is used as the data path between these two devices. This paper talk about a few common methods on the models that have these options.

Cisco 4402 controllers have two Gigabit Ethernet distribution system ports, each of which is capable of managing up to 48 access points (AP). Cisco 4404 controllers have four Gigabit Ethernet distribution system ports, each of which is capable of managing up to 48 APs per port. The 4404-25, 4404-50, and 4404-100 models allow a total of 25, 50, or 100 APs to join the controller. The Gigabit Ethernet ports on the 4402 and 4404 controllers accept these SX/LC/T small form-factor plug-in (SFP) modules:

• 1000BASE-SX SFP modules, which provide a 1000-Mbps wired connection to a network through an 850nm (SX) fiber-optic link using an LC physical connector
• 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP modules, which provide a 1000-Mbps wired connection to a network through a 1300nm (LX/LH) fiber-optic link using an LC physical connector
• 1000BASE-T SFP transceiver modules, which provide a 1000-Mbps wired connection to a network through a copper link using an RJ-45 physical connector

The Cisco 5508 controllers have eight Gigabit Ethernet distribution system ports through which the controller can manage multiple APs. The 5508-12, 5508-25, 5508-50, 5508-100, and 5508-250 models allow for 12, 25, 50, 100, or 250 APs to join the controller. Cisco 5508 controllers have no restrictions on the number of APs per port. However, Cisco recommends using link aggregation (LAG) or configuring dynamic AP-Manager interfaces on each Gigabit Ethernet port to automatically balance the load. If more than 100 APs are connected to the 5500 series controller, make sure that more than one Gigabit Ethernet interface is connected to the upstream switch. The Gigabit Ethernet ports on the 5508 series controller, make sure that more than one Gigabit Ethernet interface is connected to the upstream switch. The Gigabit Ethernet ports on the 5508 controllers accept these SX/LC/T small-factor plug-in (SFP) modules:

• 1000BASE-SX SFP modules, which provide a 1000-Mbps wired connection to a network through an 850nm (SX) fiber-optic link using an LC physical connector
• 1000BASE-LX SFP modules, which provide a 1000-Mbps wired connection to a network through a 1300nm (LX/LH) fiber-optic link using an LC physical connector
• 1000BASE-T SFP modules, which provide a 1000-Mbps wired connection to a network through a copper link using an RJ-45 physical connector

The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Gigabit Ethernet interface module is a premier modular multilayer switch and delivers secure converged services from the wiring closet to the core, to the data center, to the WAN edge. Designed to complement the many roles that the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series plays in a network, Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series mixed media Gigabit Ethernet modules offer the broadest selection of media, densities, performance, interoperability, and chassis deployments for enterprises and service providers. The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Gigabit Ethernet Interface Module accept these SX, LX/LH, ZX and CWDM/DWDM SFP modules:

• GLC-SX-MMD SFP, 1000BASE-SX SFP (multimode only) Dual LC connector
• GLC-ZX-SMD SFP, 1000BASE-ZX SFP (single mode only) Dual LC connector
• GLC-LH-SMD SFP, 1000BASE-LX SFP (single mode only) Dual LC connector
• GLC-T Module, 1000BASE-T SFP transceiver (copper twisted pair) RJ-45 connector
• CWDM-SFP-1470=*, Cisco CWDM SFP 1470 nm; Gigabit Ethernet and 1G/2G FC
• DWDM-GBIC-60.61***, 1000BASE-DWDM 1560.61 Nm GBIC (100 GHz ITU grid)

Article Source: Cisco Switch Controllers Accepted these SFP Modules

Finisar's 1000BASE-T SFP transceivers depend on the SFP Multi Source Agreement (MSA). Additionally, these are appropriate for Gigabit Ethernet and 1000BASE-T standards as specified in IEEE Std. 802.3:2002. FCxx-8520/8521-3 is its product model, which includes four goods, ie. FCMJ-8520-3, FCMJ-8521-3, FCLF-8520-3 and FCLF-8521-3. Most of the time, both are 1000BASE-T SFPs and also have the similar functions. However, there is several difference between them which you can distinguish via the difference in the model, like FCMJ and FCLF, the 8520 and 8521. This paper will discuss the difference between them.

What Does 1000BASE-T Mean?

Before we begin to discuss the main difference between the FCxx-8520/8521-3 SFPs, we first know the "1000BASE-T". 1000BASE-T is defined in IEEE802.3:2002. The "1000" in the designation means the transmission speed of 1000 Mbps. The "BASE" refers to BASE band signaling, indicating that only Ethernet signals are carried on the medium. The "T" represents twisted-pair copper cable (as an example Cat 5). Therefore we offer called this type of transceivers as the copper transceivers. If the "T" is replaced by the "X", it represents fiber optic cable.

What Is The Difference Between The FCxx-8521-3 & The FCxx-8520-3?

The FCxx-8521-3 was designed to be a 1000BASE-X compliant device that functions properly in any slot made for optical SFP's, without any software or hardware changes to the host system. The PHY is configured to perform 1000BASE-X auto-negotiation with the host system. The FCxx-8521-3 does not have to link detection circuitry the RxLOS pin is internally grounded. The FCxx-8520-3 is much like the FCxx-8521-3, however the 1000BASE-X auto negotiation is disabled. Because of this device to control, auto-negotiation also need to be disabled in the host system. Within the FCxx-8520-3, the RxLOS pin functions as a link indicator-RxLOS is asserted when the 1000BASE-T link is lost. Typically, this device is used in systems where the host cannot determine the link status without using RxLOS as a link indicator.

What Is The Main Difference Between The FCMJ-8520/8521-3 &?The FCLC-8520/8521-3?

The FCMJ-8520/8521-3 versions are RoHS 5/6 while the FCLF-8520/8521-3 versions are fully RoHS compliant.

What Cable Type Is Recommended For Use With The FCxx-8520/8521-3?

The FCxx-8520/8521-3 was designed to operate using standard Cat 5 cables that're been configured per IEEE802.3:2002. You can safely use Cat 5e or Cat 6 cables, because these are improved versions of Cat 5. For short cable runs, with an intricate routing, stranded cable is recommended, as it is more flexible.

Better Choice of Compatible Finisar 1000BASE-T FCxx-8520/8521-3 SFPs

With a starting point of saving cost, lots of people want to use the compatible SFP transceivers. Once you doing some research for your purchase plan, you will notice that there is a number of selections for compatible SFP transceivers of the famous and widely used brands, for example Cisco, HP, Finisar or Dell etc. in the market which are provided by different manufacturers or vendors. It is really a headache for choosing the best compatible SFPs that can fully satisfy your demands. We canot do any of this except comparing the price and shipping time in the ocean of the compatible transceivers. For better choice of the compatible SFPs of the Finisar 1000BASE-T SFPs, we strongly suggest you Fiberstore NEW Finisar FCxx-8520/1-3 Compatible 1000BASE-T SFP Transceiver Module as its cost effective, high quality and excellent service. In addition, more compatible 1000BASE-T SFP transceivers of other brands can be found in Fiberstore. You can save more time on searching for a good vendor or good compatible transceivers. Just have a try, Fiberstore will bring you the best experience.

Article Source: Finisar 1000BASE-T SFPs

In general, the cost of an original brand SFP module is more expensive than a 3rd party one. Take Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP (GLC-SX-MMD) for example, the list price of Cisco is about $ 500.00, but you can easily find a 3rd party SFP modules that can take a discount at up to 90% off. As the cost of SFP transceiver keep adding up over time, many labs or companies are seeking for SFP alternatives to help cut down the costs on these expensive modules. However, a frequent customer problem with Cisco's new line of Catalyst switches is that they do not support 3rd party (non-Cisco) SFPs - or at least they do not seem to. If you've just replaced your network switches and tried using any 3rd party SFPs to connect your network backbone, you'll quickly stumble across an error similar to the following:

Error message

%PHY-4-UNSUPPORTED_TRANSCEIVER: Unsupported transceiver found in Gi1/0/0 %GBIC_SECURITY_CRYPT-4-VN_DATA_CRC_ERROR: GBIC in port 65538 has bad crc

When you see this error, it means that your Cisco Catalyst switch has just disabled the GBIC port. Why? When a SFP is inserted into a switch's GBIC port, the switch immediately reads a number of values from the SFP and if it doesn't like what it sees, it throws the above error message and disables the port. Simple to understand, your Cisco Catalyst switches are configured by default not to work with the 3rd party (non-Cisco) SFPs.

As we know, all SFP modules contain a number of recorded values in their EEPROM that include:

• Vendor Name
• Vendor ID
• Serial Number
• Security Code
• CRC

How To Solve This Issue & Successfully Use 3rd Party SFPs On Your Cisco Switch

When the errors displayed, many users will be very nervous and even begin to regret using the 3rd party SFPs. Is there no hope for a solution when facing such situation? Just be relax, the following content will give you some tips on it.

There are two undocumented commands which can be used to force the Cisco Catalyst switch to enable the GBIC port and use the 3rd party SFP.

3750G-Stack(config)# service unsupported-transceiver

Warning: When Cisco determines that a fault or defect can be traced to the use of third-party transceivers installed by a customer or reseller, then, at Cisco's discretion, Cisco may withhold support under warranty or a Cisco support program. In the course of providing support for a Cisco networking product Cisco may require that the end user install Cisco transceivers if Cisco determines that removing third-party parts will assist Cisco in diagnosing the cause of a support issue.

3750G-Stack(config)# no errdisable detect cause gbic-invalid

When entering the "service unsupported-transceiver" command, the switch (eg. 3750G) will automatically throw a warning message as a last hope to prevent the usage of a 3rd party SFP. The "no errdisable detect cause gbic-invalid" command will help ensure the GBIC port is not disabled when inserting an invalid GIBC. In addition, since the service unsupported-transceiver is undocumented, if you try searching for the command with the usual method "service ?", you won't find it.

According to the test, Cisco 2960G, 3560G, 3750G, 4507R and 4507R-E Catalyst switches all accept both "service unsupported-transceiver" & "no errdisable detect cause gbic-invalid commands" commands without a problem. In fact, if the Catalyst switch is running IOS 12.2(25)SE and above, the undocumented commands are available.

Opinion on 3rd Party SFP Modules

People have different opinions on "Whether I should use 3rd party SFPs". It seems a difficult question for them as the attractive price but unknown performance of the 3rd SFPs. In fact, take Catalyst 3750 Series Switches for example, starting from 12.2(25)SE release, the user has the option via CLI to turn on the support for 3rd party SFPs. However, you should remember that the Cisco TAC will not support such 3rd party SFPs. In the event of any link error involving such 3rd party SFPs the customer will have to replace 3rd party SFPs with Cisco SFPs before any troubleshooting can be done by TAC.

Thus, it is very necessary to use quality assurance SFP modules. Actually, there are some high quality SFP modules OEM vendors, such as Fiberstore. You would not worry about the compatibility of the usage. Because there is a perfect system from the production to shipment. All the products are tested before they shipped and ensure the 100% compatible and high quality. In addition, you can save more as the price is also very competitive.

Some common types of SFPs supported on Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches

• 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP, GLC-LH-SM
• 1000BASE-SX SFP, GLC-SX-MM
• 1000BASE-ZX SFP, GLC-ZX-SM
• 1000BASE-T SFP, GLC-T SFP
  
• 1000BASE-BX SFP 1490nm (GLC-BX-D=) (12.2(25)SEB and later)
• 1000BASE-BX SFP 1310nm (GLC-BX-U=) (12.2(25)SEB and later)

Article Source: Using-3rd-Party-SFP-Modules-On-Cisco-Catalyst-Switch

Introduction

D-Link is the world leader in connectivity for small, medium and large enterprise business networking. The company is an award-winning designer, developer and manufacturer of networking, broadband, digital electronics, voice and data communications solutions for the digital home, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO), Small to Medium Business (SMB) and Workgroup to Enterprise environments. D-Link's products are aimed at the networking and communications market. There is a number of products provided by D-link. Today, we'll only introduce an essential part of the switches product line - the transceiver module and mainly be centered on its 100/1000 Mbps SFP modules.

D-Link's SFP Module Series

D-Link's highly integrated transceivers offer low jitter performance for extended optical link support without degradation. D-Link's new line of Gigabit Interface Converters (GBICs) and Small Form-Factor Pluggables (SFPs) transceivers represent an industry leading combination of performance and affordability. D-Link's new Gigabit transceivers are available in two form-factors: standard (GBIC) or (SFP) /mini-GBIC.

100BASE-FX SFP

D-Link's DEM-211 100BASE-FX Multimode LC SFP Transceiver provides a high performance solution for serial optical data communication applications. The DEM-211 has a duplex LC connector and provides an IEEE 802.3u compliant link for up to 100Mbps in half duplex mode (200Mbps full-duplex mode) for fiber cable applications. The high performance DEM-211 enables reliable data transfer in short, intermediate, and long distances for building, factory, campus, and metropolitan networking applications. When two switches are connected together using a DEM-211 transceiver on both ends, link speeds of up to 155Mbps can be attained. The DEM-211 allows you to provide 100BASE-FX SFP fiber optic connectivity on Gigabit combo SFP ports for D-Link switches.

1000BASE-T SFP

D-Link's DGS-712 1000BASE-T Copper SFP transceiver is based on the SFP Multi Source Agreement. It is compatible with the Gigabit Ethernet and 1000BASE-T standards as specified in IEEE 802.3z and 802.3ab and supports a maximum cable distance coverage up to 300m link lengths. The DGS-712 plugs into any standard SFP interface allowing for 1000Base-T Gigabit transmission over standard Category 5 twisted pair copper.

1000BASE-SX SFP

D-Link's DEM-311GT 1000BASE-SX SFP is a high performance 850nm multimode SFP/mini-GBIC transceiver which is with duplex LC connector interface. Supporting full duplex, Gigabit speeds on multimode fiber for distances of up to 220m/550m on 62.5µm/50µm fiber respectively. The unit features a metal housing to reduce EMI and to increase durability. The DEM-311GT is hot pluggable and is 30-day money back guarantee and with a lifetime advance replacement warranty.

1000BASE-LX SFP

D-Link's 1000BASE-LX SFP, the DEM-310GT is a high performance 1310nm multimode/Singlemode SFP (mini-GBIC) transceiver. Supporting full duplex, Gigabit speeds on multimode/Singlemode fiber for distances of up to 550m/550m/10km on 62.5µm/50µm/9µm respectively. The unit features a metal housing to reduce EMI and to increase durability. Its interface is duplex LC connector. The DEM-310GT is hot pluggable and is 30-day money back guarantee and with a lifetime advance replacement warranty.

D-Link's SFP Module Alternative Solution

Fiberstore offers third party optical transceivers and all the D-Link SFP transceiver is certified 100% compatible with D-Link switch and router product lines.These D-Link SFP transceivers can be mixed and deployed with D-Link OEM SFP transceivers for seamless network performance and interoperability. Our cost-effective D-Link SFP optical modules are delivered to worldwide from our factory directly.

Warm tips: Other brands solution is available. All Fiberstore SFP transceivers are fully compatible with major brands (Cisco, HP, NETGEAR, Finisar, Juniper, etc.) and backed by a Lifetime Warranty.

More infomation about D-Link's SFP: D-Link SFP Transceiver Specifications.

Article Source: D-Link SFP solution

Nowadays, there is a variety optical transceivers on the market and some of them may be the refurbished optical transceivers. Driven by the huge economic profit, some unscrupulous manufacturers mislead customers to use the refurbished or inferior optical transceiver modules on their switches, servers, base station equipment or storage devices. What's worse, they have even faked the famous brand optical transceiver modules. These shoddy refurbished optical transceivers illegally entered the markets may result in heavy losses to us. This article is explaining how to identify the refurbished transceiver modules, and buy a high-quality transceiver module.

Sources & Disadvantages of the Refurbished Optical Transceiver Module

Source

In general, the sources of refurbished transceiver module include the following two ways.

• Some transceiver modules have been used for certain years, and they will be eliminated due to the update of equipment or damaged due to improper use. The unscrupulous manufacturers recycle these old or damaged transceiver and refurbish them, these refurbished transceiver modules generally have serious impact on the service life.
• Some unqualified transceiver modules can not pass the on line tests and ready to destroy. These unqualified transceivers are used by the unscrupulous manufactures to fake the high-quality transceivers. However, the parameters of these transceivers are not standard. It will have a great impact on the stability of data transmission, and even have serious damages on the equipment.

Disadvantages

The generally speaking refurbished transceiver modules are referred to the secondhand or unqualified transceiver modules mentioned above. They are bought by some unscrupulous businessmen of low prices and renewed with a number of technical renovation (for example: replacing the shell, replacing the clasp, or replacing the labels, etc). These refurbished transceivers have a lower price than the original one and can easily attract the users. However, many issues have been occurred when using:

• Pollution on the light path
• Easy to damage
• Short using life
• Low receiving sensitivity
• Cannot meet the high or low temperature working environment

How to Identify The Refurbished Optical Transceiver Module

Here are three methods to identify the refurbished optical transceiver module:

• Appearance recognition. Check the appearance of the transceiver modules: new module's appearance generally has good consistency while the refurbished module is not glossy, and have some wear and scratches in the rim angle. Many refurbished transceivers are replaced with a new shell, in this case, we can see the interface of the modules, if there is dust and not smooth, it is the refurbished modules.
• Check the ferrule. Pulled out of the dust cap, we can see the ferrule in the bore. In general, the multimode transceiver has plastic ferrules or metal ferrules while the singlemode transceiver has the metal ferrule. A second-hand old module is lack of glossy, and generally rough and with scratch that has a bad consistency. The ferrules of a new quality module is brightness of color and lustre and has a good consistency.
• Put the modules working under the status of 50-60 °C and see if it is working properly. In generally, a refurbished optical transceiver module can not work well or even disconnect.

Avoiding Refurbished Transceiver Module, A Quality Vendor Is Necessary

No matter there are how many tips or methods on how to identify, the best way to avoid buying refurbished transceiver module is to choose a quality vendor. The reason why many users have bought the refurbished transceivers is the attractive low price of them. As we know, the costs for transceiver modules modules keep adding up over time. In order to save more, a low cost option of the transceiver is the expectation of the users. How and where to find a quality vendor? Fiberstore is your best choice. Fiberstore provides a full set of compatible fiber optic transceiver module solution cover all the famous brands, such as Cisco, HP, Finisar and so on, which can satisfy you with a full range of services. In addition, we can also offer the custom service for your special requirements.

All our fiber transceivers are 100% compatible with major brands

Cisco, Juniper, HP, Finisar, Brocade, Extreme, Source Photonics, Netgear, Force10, Dell, Foundry, Huwei, Intel, Custom SFP...

A full range of optical transceivers

SFP Transceivers (eg. 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-ZX, 1000BASE-T), SFP+ transceivers (eg. 10g cisco 850nm 10GBASE-LR, 10GBASE-SR), QSFP+ & CFP Transceivers, XFP transceivers, 10G X2 & XENPAK and CWDM/DWDM SFP (eg. 1gb DWDM transceiver). Get more information can visit Fiberstore.com.

Recommendation of The Best-selling Brand Compatible Transceivers

• Cisco: GLC-SX-MMD, GLC-LH-SMD, GLC-T, SFP 10G LRM;
• HP: 455883-B21, J9143B, JD089B;
• Netgear: AFM735, AGM731f, AGM734
• Finisar: FCLF-8521-3, FTRJ8519P1BNL, FTLX8571D3BCV

Articles Source: Identify The Refurbished Optical Transceiver Module

A Resarch released a report tracking 10-Gigabit (10G), 40-Gigabit (40G), and 100-Gigabit (100G) optical transceivers and transponders sold into the optical transport, carrier routing and switching, and enterprise markets.

The report, “10G/40G/100G optical transceivers Market Size and forecasts” analyzes the optical transceiver and transponder market by module, reach, wavelength, and form-factor. It is also the first to use end-market projections of carrier preferences and equipment shipments to drive component forecasts.

“Our conversations with service providers and enterprises indicate they have a strong preference for 100G technology provided it is at the right price, less urgency surrounding 40G coherent technology, and wide-scale acceptance of both 10G SFP+ and tunable XFP.” said Andrew Schmitt. The Research’s directing analyst for optical, “Based on our optical transport, router, switch, and enterprise equipment forecasts, combined with our service provider deployment models, we expect 100G pricing to reach twice that of 40G in 2013, resulting in a rapid shift to 100G. By 2014, 40G and 100G modules will make up roughly half of the world’s total 10G/40G/100G optical transceiver and transponder revenue.”

Optical transceiver market highligths

- 10G, 40G, and 100G transceiver and transponder revenue is forecast by Infonetics Research to grow to $1.44 billion worldwide by 2014, driven by 10G SFP+ and tunable XFP technology, and by spikes in future 40G and 100G adoption;

- Tunable XFPs are the major 10G growth opportunity, as they eliminate inventory management issues with fixed-wavelength modules, fulfill the need for tunability as ROADM-based networking rises in popularity, and replace the more-costly 300-pin format;

- Meanwhile, SFP+ is replacing XFP, driven by strong growth in 850nm modules for 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) and 8/16G Fibre Channel applications;

- Shipments of next-generation 40G long-range (LR) and short-range (SR) optical transceivers will begin in 2010, primarily for enterprise and IP router applications;

- Revenue for 40G long-reach interfaces jumped 52 percent in 2009 over 2009, to $114.6 million, while revenue for 40G 300 pin short and intermediate-reach interfaces dropped 35 percent, driven by price erosion and demand weakness;

- During the 2011-2012 timeframe, shipments of DQPSK transceivers are expected to outstrip those of DPSK, as the cost differential between the two drops Worldwide revenue is forecast to grow nearly 10-fold from 2009 to 2014 for tunable DQPSK 40G optical transceivers.

- 10G modules, WDM (CWDM/DWDM), 1550 nm,1310nm, and 850nm wavelengths, split by form-factor; 300-pin, small form-factor pluggable (SFP+), 10G small form-factor pluggable (XFP), and other (including X2,XENPAK, and 300 pin);

- 40G modules, 1310nm,and 850nm wavelengths, split by form-factor; DPSK, DQPSK, opto duo-binary (ODB) and other, 300-pin SFI-5, 40GBASE-LR4, and 40Gbase- SR4;

- 100G modules, 1310nm and 850nm wavelength, split by form-factor; 100 DWDM, 100GBase-LR4 and 100GBase-SR10.

Vendors providing products in the optical transceiver market include HuaWei, Finisar, Netgear, HP, Avago, D-Link, Extreme and so on.

In nowadays market, though 10G, 40G, 100G gradually become the trend, 1G and 10G are still the mainstream. Compared to the expensive price of the original, the third-party would be a good choice.

Fiberstore is your best choice which provides a full set of compatible fiber optic transceiver module solution cover all the famous brands, such as Cisco, Dell, D-Link, HP and so on, which can satisfy you with a full range of services. In addition, we can also offer the custom service for your special requirements.

Recommendation of The Best-selling Brand Compatible 1G&10G SFP Transceivers:

1G SFP:

• Cisco: GLC-T, GLC-LH-SMD, SFP-GE-T and Cisco GLC-ZX-SMD
• Finisar 1gbps SFP transceiver: FCLF-8521-3, FTLF1319P1BTL, FTRJ8519P1BNL
• HP SFP: J4858B, J4858C, J4859A, J9143D and JD089B
• D-Link: DEM 310GT and DEM 311GT
• Netgear: AGM734, AGM731F, AFM735

10G SFP+:

• Cisco : SFP-10G-LR, SFP 10G LRM, SFP-10G-SR and 10G ZR for 10G SFP+ 1550nm 80km
• Netgear: AXM761, AXM762
• HP: HP 455883 b21

Cisco's small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceivers are the hot-swappable input/output devices plug into a Gigabit Ethernet port or slot. Optical and copper models can be used on a wide variety of Cisco products and intermixed in combinations of 1000BASE-T, 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-EX, 1000BASE-ZX, or 1000BASE-BX10-D/U on a port-by-port basis. We can easily judge the Gigabit Ethernet port type only by the description or model name of the SFP modules. However, when choosing or using the SFP transceivers, we are usually confused with the fiber optic interfaces of Cisco SFP transceivers. Today, we are going to have an overview of the fiber optic interface of Cisco commomly used SFPs.

The Product Family of Cisco SFPs

The product family of Cisco SFP transceivers includes the following types:

• 1000BASE-T SFP for Copper Networks
• 1000BASE-SX SFP for Multimode Fiber Only
• 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP for Both Multimode and Single-Mode Fibers
• 1000BASE-EX SFP for Long-Reach Single-Mode Fibers
• 1000BASE-ZX SFP for Long-Reach Single-Mode Fibers
• 1000BASE-BX10-D and 1000BASE-BX10-U SFP for Single-Fiber Bidirectional Applications

Fiber Optic Interfaces of Cisco SFP Transceivers

According to the product family of Cisco SFPs, each type has its own featured products. The optical interface and the corresponding fiber patch cable type of each product are mentioned in the following:

1000BASE-T SFP

• [GLC-T] Category 5 copper wire, RJ-45 connector
• [SFP-GE-T=] Category 5 copper wire, extended operating temperature range, RJ-45 connector

1000BASE-SX SFP

• [GLC-SX-MM=] MMF, 850-nm wavelength, dual LC/PC connector
• [SFP-GE-S=] MMF, 850-nm wavelength, extended operating temperature range and DOM support, dual LC/PC connector
• [GLC-SX-MM-RGD] MMF, 850-nm wavelength, industrial Ethernet, dual LC/PC connector
• [GLC-SX-MMD] MMF, 850-nm wavelength, extended operating temperature range and DOM support, dual LC/PC connector

1000BASE-LX/LH SFP

• [GLC-LH-SM=] MMF and SMF, 1300-nm wavelength, dual LC/PC connector
• [SFP-GE-L=] MMF and SMF, 1300-nm wavelength, extended operating temperature range and DOM support, dual LC/PC connector
• [GLC-LX-SM-RGD] MMF and SMF, 1300-nm wavelength, industrial Ethernet, dual LC/PC connector
• [GLC-LH-SMD=] MMF and SMF, 1300-nm wavelength, extended operating temperature range and DOM support, dual LC/PC connector

1000BASE-ZX SFP

• [GLC-ZX-SM=] SMF, 1550-nm wavelength, dual LC/PC connector
• [SFP-GE-Z=] SMF, 1550-nm wavelength, extended operating temperature range and DOM support, dual LC/PC connector
• [GLC-ZX-SM-RGD] SMF, 1550-nm wavelength, industrial Ethernet, dual LC/PC connector
• [GLC-ZX-SMD=] SMF, 1550-nm wavelength, dual LC/PC connector

1000BASE-BX10 SFP / Dual-channel 1000BASE-BX10 SFP

• [GLC-BX-D=] single-strand SMF, 1490-nm TX/1310-nm RX wavelength, single LC/PC connector
• [GLC-BX-U=] single-strand SMF, 1310-nm TX/1490-nm RX wavelength, single LC/PC connector
• [GLC-2BX-D=] single-strand SMF, 1490-nm TX/1310-nm RX wavelength, two single LC/PC connectors

1000BASE-EX SFP

• [GLC-EX-SMD=] SMF, 1310-nm wavelength, extended operating temperature range and DOM support, dual LC/PC connector

Some Tips on The Model of Cisco SFP Transceivers

When using or choosing Cisco SFPs, the meaning of the product's model (eg. the meaning of the letters and numbers) needs to be known. Here are some tips on them.

• SX - 850 nm, for a maximum of 550 m at 1.25 Gbit/s (gigabit Ethernet) or 150m at 4.25 Gbit/s (Fibre Channel) for single-mode fiber.
• LX - 1310 nm, for distances up to 10 km.
• EX - 1310 nm, for distances up to 40 km.
• ZX - 1550 nm, for distances up to 80 km.
• BX - 1490 nm/1310 nm, Single Fiber Bi-Directional Gigabit SFP Transceivers, paired as BS-U and BS-D for Uplink and Downlink respectively, also for distances up to 10 km. Variations of bidirectional SFPs are also manufactured which use 1550 nm in one direction.
• T - stands for port of BaseT port, they are not compatible with (or rather: do not have equivalents for) Fibre channel or SONET.
• "D" in "GLC-SX-MMD" - Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM) support, performing transceiver monitoring and troubleshooting operations.
• "RGD" in GLC-SX-MM-RGD - Rugged' (RGD) Transceiver Module, which features enhanced ESD protection, and extended operating temperature range.
• "=" in GLC-SX-MM= - Field Replaceable Units which can be used as "spare" or be shipped individually to replace damaged units. The new parts that are ordered directly from a reseller or from Cisco usually don't come with the = sign.

Cost-effective Cisco SFP Transceivers Solution

Fiberstore is a professional manufacturer and supplier of optical networking solutions. We can supply 100% compatible fiber optic transceiver modules of many brands, like Cisco, Dell, D-link.. with a incredible discount. Cisco, especially, you can find a full product line of our New Cisco SFP with a good price and enjoy same-day shipping. According to your requirements, we welcome any inquiry for customized fiber optical transceiver. In addition, a variety of fiber patch cables are also offered with a good price and high quality. Fiberstore will give you a pefect solution for your network transmission.

We Need to Know These FAQ about Gigabit Ethernet Transceiver Modules

In the last few weeks, we have respectively introduced transceiver modules from different aspects or some famous brands. I hope all these knowlegde will give you some help during your using or working with the transceiver modules. Today, we do not plan to begin a new topic about the transceiver modules, but make a summary of the FAQ of the transceiver modules. Though some of them are simple, this paper is mainly intended to help both new and experienced technicians as a learning tool and a reference source for better understanding or using the transceiver modules.

Ok, the following contents are all the frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers, we will introduce them from easy to difficult.

Q:What is Transceiver Module?

A:Transceiver module is the combination of a transmitter and a receiver into a single device which acts to connect the electrical circuitry of the module with the optical or copper network. In addition, most transceiver modules are hot-swappable I/O (input/output) devices which plug into module sockets. As we know, devices such as routers, switches, or network interface cards modules provide one or more transceiver module slot (e.g GBIC, SFP, XFP etc.), into which you can insert a transceiver module that is appropriate for that connection. The optical fibre, or wire, plugs into a connector on the transceiver module. There is a variety of transceiver modules available for using with different types of fiber optic patch cords, different wavelengths and different transmission distances.

Q:What does hot-swappable mean?

A:Hot-swappable is the capability of being able to disconnect and connect devices while the computer or other device is on and have those devices be detected without having to reboot the computer or device. A hot-swappable device is one which can be connected or disconnected from an electronic device without having to reboot. This is useful as it allows you to swap between transceiver modules without having to power off your device.

Q:Why would I use a Transceiver Module?

A:Transceiver modules have many uses, but much of their success lies in their inter changeability. An example would be in the event that multiple different optical technologies are used in your network, you can purchase transceiver modules when required, rather than in advance, furthermore these modules can be the specific type (wavelength) required for each link. This achieves 2 things; firstly it lowers the initial costs associated with building your network and then gives you greater flexibility in the future when expanding your network.

Transceiver modules also allow you to expand your network over distances of up to 80km, at data rates of up to 100GBase (100 Gigabit/s) when using Single Mode fibre (SMF). This allows you to connect multiple data centres, or office networks together with fibre optic cabling. The optical fibre plugs into a connector on the transceiver module, which then allows for bi-directional communication between the transceiver modules.

Another way in which transceiver modules can be used is to connect high speed peripheral devices to your network, such as NAS (Network Attached Storage) boxes or servers. In instances where the server has gigabit or greater networking capabilities, a transceiver module can be installed in a 10/100/1000 megabit switch which has an available high speed module slot. This increases the available bandwidth for the high speed device, and results in increased performance.

Q:Can I connect a GBIC to an SFP ?

A:Functions of GBIC and SFP are equal. They are different in the size, namely, GBIC is bigger than SFP. Thus, they can be connected to each other, provided that the media type is the same. For example you could connect a 1000Base-SX GBIC to a 1000Base-SX SFP using an LC/SC cable. For optical transceivers the wavelength is defined by the media type, so two different form factors with the same media type would be compatible. LC/SC cables are commonly available, and comprise an SC connector at one end, and an LC connector at the other.

Q:What are the main types of Gigabit Ethernet SFPs?

A:Gigabit Ethernet describes technologies which transmit Ethernet frames at a rate of 1 gigabit per second as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. These small, modular optical interface transceivers offer a convenient and cost effective solution for the adoption of Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel in data center, campus, metropolitan area access and ring networks, and storage area networks.

• 1000BASE-CX SFP Medium: Twinaxial Cabling Distance: 25 metres
• 1000BASE-SX SFP Medium: Multi-mode fibre (MMF) Distance: 220-550 metres Wavelength: 770-860 nm
• 1000BASE-LX SFP Medium: Multi-mode fibre (MMF) Distance: 550 metres Medium: Single-mode fibre (SMF) Distance: up to 5km Wavelength: 1270-1355 nm
• 1000BASE-LX10 SFP Medium: Single-mode fibre (SMF) Distance: up to 10km Wavelength: 1310 nm
• 1000BASE-ZX SFP Medium: Single-mode fibre (SMF) Distance: up to 70km Wavelength: 1550 nm
• 1000BASE-BX10 SFP Medium: Single-mode fibre (SMF) Distance: up to 10km Wavelength: 1490 nm (downstream) Wavelength: 1310 nm (upstream)
• 1000BASE-T SFP Medium: Twisted Pair (Category 5 cable or higher) Distance: up to 100m
• 1000BASE-TX SFP Medium: Twisted Pair (Category 6 cable or higher) Distance: up to 100m

Q:How about Fiberstore Transceiver Modules?

A:Fiberstore provides a full set of comaptible fiber optic transceiver module solution cover all the famous brands, such as Cisco, HP, Finisar and so on, which can satisfy you with a full range of services. Finisar, especially, you can find a full product line of our Finisar Gigabit Ethernet SFP with a good price and enjoy same-day shipping, such as Finisar FTLF1318P3BTL, Finisar FTRJ8519P1BNL, Finisar FTLF8519P2BNL, Finisar FTLF8524P2BNV, etc. According to your requirements, we welcome any inquiry for customized fiber optical transceiver. In addition, a variety of fiber patch cables are also offered with a good price and high quality. Fiberstore will give you a pefect solution for your network transmission.

Article Source: Transceiver Modules FAQ Pool

Recently many users ask when they choosing a card for their switch/router, they should choose either cards that take SFP or cards that take GBIC. It seems to be a headache for them because they are not clearly know the differences of them. Thus, today, we are mainly going to discuss that when it's best to use GBIC and when to use SFP.

GBIC (gigabit interface converter)

GBIC is a hot-swappable input/output device that plugs into a Gigabit Ethernet port or slot, linking the port with the network. GBIC is a standard for transceivers, commonly used with Gigabit Ethernet and fiber channel. GBIC module is hot pluggable, this feature allows a suitably designed enclosure to be changed from one type of external interface to another simply by plugging in a GBIC having the alternative external interface. Generally, GBIC is with the SC connector. The GBIC standard is non-proprietary and is defined by the Small Form Factor committee in document number 8053i. The first publication of the proposal was in November 1995. A few corrections and additions were made through September 2000.

SFP (small form-factor pluggable)

SFP is a specification for a new generation of optical modular transceivers. The form factor and electrical interface are specified by a multi-source agreement (MSA). SFP is also known as a Mini GBIC as its function is somewhat similar to the GBIC transceiver while SFP is smaller than it. SFP transceivers are designed to support SONET, gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards. Due to its smaller size, SFP is now more and more widely used for both telecommunication and data communications applications.

GBIC & SFP Interface Types

For every type of GBIC and SFP transceivers, it works with different wavelengths at a designated location or distance. For examples, SX SFP uses 850nm for a maximum of 550 meters, LX SFP uses 1310nm for a maximum 10km, ZX SFP could reach 80km or copper SFP uses a RJ45 interface. We can easily distinguish via the information in their names or models, ie. 1000BASE-T SFP, 1000BASE-SX SFP, 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP, 1000BASE-ZX SFP, 1000BASE-CWDM SFP, or 1GB DWDM transceiver. In addition, the DOM function for an SFP is discretionary. It supports the users to locate the real-time working status of SFP. The famous brand of GBICs or SFPs are Cisco, Finisar, HP, Juniper, Extreme Network and so on. There is a little difference in the features of each brand's GBICs and SFPs and they support their corresponding brand's switches/routers.

When it's best to use GBIC and When to use SFP?

According to the above definitions of GBIC and SFP, you may have a further understanding on both of them. There is only one difference of them. SFP is smaller than GBIC. Because the smaller size of SFP (almost half the volume of GBIC), we can configure double number of ports on the same panel which increases the utilization rates of switches/routers. Other basic functions of SFP is almost the same with the GBIC and they are equal in performance. Though there are some users still using the GBIC as their old divice which can not be updated to support SFP, GBIC will gradually be obsoleted and replaced by SFP. So the answer to the question "When it's best to use GBIC and When to use SFP?" is obvious. SFP is your choice. Of course, except GBIC and SFP, there are SFP+, XFP, QSFP/QSFP+ etc. new generation of transceivers which can meet all kinds of your requirements. These new types of transceivers will be discussed in other aticle and not state here one by one. If you are interested in them, please focus continuously on my blog. Or if you need these products, Fiberstore will be a good place for you.

Recommendation of The Best-selling Brand Compatible Transceivers

• Cisco: GLC-SX-MM, GLC-SX-MMD, GLC-LH-SMD, GLC-T, SFP-GE-T
• Finisar: FCLF-8521-3, FTLF1319P1BTL, FTLX8571D3BCV
• Netgear: AFM735, AGM734, AGM731F
• HP: J4858C, 455883-B21, J9143B, JD089B
• D-Link: DEM-310GT, DEM-311GT

Article Source: GBIC or SFP transceiver

SFP+ Direct Attach

Also known as Direct Attach (DA), Direct Attach Copper (DAC), 10GSFP+Cu, 10GBASE-CR, 10GBASE-CX1, SFP+, or 10GbE Cu SFP cables. Direct Attach uses a passive twinax cable assembly and connects directly into an SFP+ housing. SFP+ Direct Attach has a fixed-length cable, typically 1 to 7 m (passive cables) or up to 15 m (active cables) in length, and, like 10GBASE-CX4, is low-power, low-cost and low-latency with the added benefits of using less bulky cables and of having the small form factor of SFP+. SFP+ cable today is tremendously popular, with more ports installed than 10GBASE-SR.

SFP+ Direct Attach Copper (10GSFP+Cu)

SFP+ DAC is a copper 10 Gigabit Ethernet cable which comes in either an active or passive Twinax (twinaxial) cable assembly and connects directly into an SFP+ housing. The active Twinax cable has active electronic components in the SFP+ housing to improve the signal quality; the passive Twinax cable is just a straight "wire" and has no active components. Generally Twinax cables less than 5 meters in length are passive and greater than 5 meters in length are active, but this is a general rule of thumb and will vary from vendor to vendor. SFP+ Direct Attach Copper (DAC) is expected to be the optimum solution for 10G Ethernet reaches up to 10 m.

One of major applications includes Cisco, Juniper, Brocade and others' network hardware with SFP+ interfaces. This kind of connection has the capacity to transmit at 10 Gigabits/second full duplex speed over 5 meter distances. Moreover, this setup offers 15 to 25 times lower transceiver latency than current 10GBASE-T Cat 6/Cat 6a/Cat 7 cabling systems: 0.1 μs for Twinax with SFP+ versus 1.5 to 2.5 μs for current 10GBASE-T specification. The power draw of Twinax with SFP+ is around 0.1 watts, which is much better than 4-8 watts for 10GBASE-T.

As always with cabling one of the consideration points is bit error ratio or BER for short. Twinax copper cabling has BER better than 10-18 according to Cisco, and therefore is acceptable for applications in critical environments.

Cables must not be bent below their minimum bend radius, which is depending on cable size expressed in AWG. The table on the right summarizes minimum values typically admitted for SFP+ sustained bend radiuses.

This SFP+ Twinax DAC is also referred to as "10GBASE-CR" by some manufacturers, even though there is no IEEE or other standard with that name.

Cisco SFP+ Twinax Copper Cables

Cisco SFP+ Copper Twinax (Figure 1) direct-attach cables are suitable for very short distances and offer a cost-effective way to connect within racks and across adjacent racks. Cisco offers passive Twinax cables in lengths of 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 5, 7 and 10 meters, and active Twinax cables in lengths of 7 and 10 meters.

Figure 1. Cisco direct attach passive SFP+ cables

Cisco SFP+ Active Optical Cables

Cisco SFP+ Active Optical Cables (Figure 2) are direct-attach fiber assemblies with SFP+ connectors. They are suitable for very short distances and offer a cost-effective way to connect within racks and across adjacent racks. Cisco offers Active Optical Cables in lengths of 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 meters.

Figure 2. Cisco active optical SFP+ cables

Platform Support

Cisco SFP+ modules are supported on a wide range of Cisco switches and routers^*:

Ordering Information

Notes

Direct Attach Copper (DAC) Cable is widely used in storage, data center, and high-performance computing connectivity. The DAC cables are widely-used to connect one mobility access switch with another when forming a stack. Fiberstore supplies different kinds of high-speed interconnect DAC cable assemblies including 10G SFP+ Cables, 40G QSFP+ Cables, and 120G CXP Cables. Fiberstore offers customized service for cable length.

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinaxial_cabling
  
• DAC Cable
  

With the development of network technology, SFP/SFP+ transceiver is widely used in Gigabit Ethernet. To master the skill of installing and removing SFP and SFP+ transceiver becomes very important and necessary. Since my last blog post has explained how to installing or removing GBIC modules, we will continue introducing the SFP/SFP+ installing and removing steps.

SFP/SFP+ Installing Steps

SFP modules can have 3 different types of latching devices which secure the SFP into the module socket, so please determine which latching device your module has before installation or removal of the device.

step 1: Firstly you should attach your ESD preventive wrist strap to your wrist as well as to the ESD ground connector. A metal surface on your chassis is also acceptable.

step 2: Next, remove the SFP transceiver module from its packaging.
(Please note: You shouldn't remove the optical bore dust plugs yet.)

step 3: Check the SFP transceiver to ensure that it is the correct model for the network

step 4: Locate the send (TX) and receive (RX) markings. These will allow you to identify the top of the SFP transceiver module.
(Please note: Certain SFP transceiver modules may represent the TX and RX marking with arrowheads. The direction of these will allow you to determine the send and receive.)
Pointing from the SFP transceiver module connector = Transmit/TX Pointing toward the connector = Receive/RX

step 5: Align the SFP transceiver module with the module port.
(Please Note: Devices can have different SFP module socket configurations. It is possible to have either a latch-up or a latch-down orientation. Firstly make sure that you are installing an SFP transceiver module with the correct latch orientation for your device.)

step 6: Insert the SFP Transceiver Module into the socket until you feel the SFP's connector latch into place. Ensure that you press the SFP firmly into the slot using your thumb.
(Please note: For those SFP transceiver modules which have an actuator latch, you must press on both the transceiver faceplate and the actuator button to ensure that the transceiver is correctly connected.)

step 7: Verify the SFP transceiver module installation. Attempt to remove the SFP without releasing the latch, if it cannot be removed then it is correctly seated. If it can be removed reinsert the SFP and press harder with your thumb, until you can verify that it is correctly seated.

step 8: You can now remove the dust plugs from the network interface cable LC connectors. You should save the dust plugs for future use.

step 9: Inspect and clean the fibre-optic end-faces on the LC connector.

step 10: You can now remove the dust plugs from the SFP transceiver module's optical bores. As soon as this has been completed you must attach the network interface cable LC connector to the SFP.
(Please note: If you are connecting a 1000BASE-T SFP transceiver module to a copper network you should firstly insert the Category 5 network cable RJ-45 connector into the SFP transceiver module RJ-45 connector. Then Insert the other end of the network cable into an RJ-45 connector on a 1000BASE-T-compatible target device.)

step 11: Check the port status LED, if it turns green the SFP transceiver module has established a link with the target device. If the LED is off please ensure that the target device is powered on before troubleshooting. The LED will turn amber for approximately 30 seconds prior to turning green.

step 12: Reconfigure and reboot the target device if required.

SFP/SFP+ Removing Steps

Please be aware that SFP transceiver modules are static sensitive so you should always use an ESD wrist strap or similar grounding device when coming into contact with the device. Transceiver modules can also reach high temperatures so may be too hot to be removed with bare hands.

step 1: Attach your ESD wrist strap and the ESD ground connector to a metal surface on the device chassis.

step 2: Next disconnect the network cable from the SFP transceiver module connector. You should then reinstall the dust plugs on the optical bores and fibre optic cable LC connectors.

step 3: Release and remove the SFP transceiver module from the socket connector. Mylar Tab Latch: for SFPs with a Mylar Tab Latch, you should first pull the tab in a downward direction until the SFP is released from the socket connector. Then the SFP module can be pulled directly out, ensuring not to twist or pull the Mylar tab.

Actuator Button Latch: for SFPs with an Actuator Button Latch, you should gently press the button on the front of the transceiver until it clicks. This should release the SFP transceiver module from the socket connector, following which the SFP transceiver module can be carefully removed from the module slot. This should be done straight, ensuring not to twist or bend the module.

Bail Clasp Latch: For SFPs with a Bail Clasp Latch, the latch should be pulled out and down to eject the SFP transceiver module from its socket.

step 4: The removed SFP transceiver module should now be placed safely in a protective environment such as an antistatic bag.

Warm Tips About how to install or remove XENPAK, X2, XFP, QSFP/QSFP+ and CFP will be continued next week. Please focus on my blog update on next Monday.

Article Source: A Complete Guide of Installing or Removing Transceiver Modules (Part I)